Parker vs the World or The Silly Bandz Job
by serenelystrange
Summary: Parker is convinced that those crazy shaped rubber bracelets are actually being used to brainwash children at a local school. The team, mostly due to Sophie's encouragement, investigate. But is Parker right? We shall see. FINALLY COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

"Nate, they're evil! I'm telling you!"

Nate sighed and took a long gulp of his drink before meeting Parker's eyes again. She sat across from him at their usual McRory's booth, waiting impatiently.

"They aren't evil Parker. They're just little pieces of rubber in crazy shapes."

Parker glared at him over her soda glass, "Then why do they ALL have so many of them? It's like they're being," her voiced dropped to a whisper as she glanced around furtively, "_brainwashed."_

"It's not brainwashing, Parker, it's just a fad," Nate explained, in what he thought was a relatively pleasant tone. Parker just ignored his tone.

"Just like there was nothing going on with that jury? Hmm?"

"Parker..." Nate began, but she cut him off.

"I'll just do it myself then," Parker huffed, crossing her arms petulantly.

Nate pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward of the inevitable headache. He looked up just in time to see Parker staring back at him with an expression not unlike a kicked puppy on her face.

He sighed again. One of these days, he'd learn to actually become the bastard he tried to convince everyone else that he was.

"Fine," he replied carefully, "But we're only going in for recon. There is no job here, OK? We'll talk about it in the meeting tomorrow."

Parker was already on her feet.

"Yeah, sure, right, no job, gotcha. I have to go now. We're gonna watch Shrek!"

Nate stared at the space where Parker had stood for a long moment, still as confused as he had been twenty minutes ago.

Tomorrow was bound to be an... interesting day.

.

.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Nate whispered to Sophie as they watched the others approaching the bar from their place in the doorway.

Sophie tsked, "Because Parker needs to know that we value and respect her opinion, even as... colorful as that opinion may be."

Nate grimaced, "Fine. One day. But that's it. I don't see why we all need to be in on this. She could do it alone."

"And may I remind you that _you_ were the one that stopped her from going in alone, even on a mission you think is pointless?" Sophie smirked.

"She was... I didn't... she just... we don't do solo jobs anymore, that's the only reason," Nate defended himself weakly.

Sophie patted his arm, only slightly patronizingly, "I'm sure."

Parker reached them first, and to Nate and Sophie's horror, she has a small blonde boy no older than three clutched over one hip.

.

.

"Parker!" Sophie whispered harshly as she ushered the other team members, plus their little guest, inside the relatively empty bar. "Where did you get this child?"

Hardison and Eliot let out simultaneous snorts of amusement, which Sophie chose to ignore in favor of exchanging worried glances with Nate.

..

"I didn't steal him!" Parker defended as she seated herself, transferring the boy comfortably in her lap, "I'm only borrowing him for a little while."

Nate groaned, visions of police chases and frantic parents racing through his head.

Finally, Hardison put them out of their misery.

"Henry is my neighbors son. She was just glad to have an afternoon to herself. Made me a pie and everything."

.

Sophie visibly relaxed at the news, turning her attention to the little boy, who sat quietly, clutching a stuffed zebra.

"Hello, darling," she smiled at him, ruffling his blonde curls playfully.

"Zebra!" Henry replied, grinning widely.

"And he's a lovely zebra!" Sophie grinned back, "Does he have a name?"

Henry nodded seriously, "Zebra."

Nate couldn't help but ask, "Your zebra's name is Zebra?"

Henry cast Nate a glare that he could have learned from Eliot, in Nate's opinion.

Nate sat back in surprise while the others laughed at the exchange.

Henry looked up at Parker and frowned, "I have to go potty."

Parker looked over to Sophie, panicked. She hadn't anticipated this. "One of you take him!" she turned to Eliot and Hardison, who sat at the table across from them, "He's a boy, you're boys, bring him to the mens room."

Sophie laughed softly, "Henry is too young for a urinal, Parker, I'll bring him into the ladies room."

"No!" Henry cried out when Sophie went to reach for him. He burrowed closer to Parker, tucking his head into her shoulder and hiding his face in her hair.

"Why's he doing this?" Parker patted the boy's back awkwardly. "He wanted to be carried before, but I thought he would let go at some point."

"He just likes you, is all," Sophie soothed, "Bring him to the bathroom, you'll do fine."

"OK," Parker took a deep breath, as if preparing for battle, "Come on, Henry with a y. We're going to the potty."

Henry glared one last time at Nate, Parker's hair almost matching his own to create an amusing wig effect, and it was all Nate could do not to laugh.

.

.

Nate waited until Parker and Henry had disappeared into the bathroom before regarding Eliot and Hardison.

"Henry with a y?"

Eliot snorted, "Yeah. Same concept as the Eric's. Henry with a y is good, Henri with an I is evil. Apparently."

Nate just shook his head silently. He would never understand that girl.

.

.

"Liberty Freedom Boston Privileged Children's Academy?" Hardison read out loud as they pulled up to the swanky looking school. "Are you serious?"

"As a kamikaze 9000 safe with titanium enforced explosives," Parker responded cheerfully.

"You're making that up," Hardison stared at the others with wide eyes, "She's making that up, right? I mean, that doesn't even sound real."

Parker looked at him shrewdly, "I don't joke about safes."

Before the situation could escalate, Nate broke in with a question.

"Parker, did you do any research into this place?"

"Well..." she hedged, "I know they like money. And I have lots of money that I can pretend to want to give them."

Nate shook his head in half amusement, half annoyance. "This school is extremely selective in who they enroll. The wait list for the pre-school is five years long. You can't just stroll in there with Henry and pretend to sign him up. Especially not without a 'husband.' At the most, you might be able to get a tour, and even that isn't likely."

.

Parker regarded him with appraisal before wrinkling her nose and turning her head to look at Eliot and Hardison instead, before turning back to Nate.

"So what you're saying is... if I had a husband, I could at least get a tour of the place?"

Four simultaneous groans filled the car, causing Henry to giggle from his booster seat.

Parker grinned happily. "Now," she bounced, "Who wants to marry me?"

.

.

Eliot fidgeted as he, Parker and Henry, who had decided he wanted to walk, made their way into the school.

"Why was there even a collared polo shirt in the car, that was mysteriously my size?" he groused, "And why can't Hardison play daddy? You know I hate this shit."

"Shh!" Parker scolded him, "No cursing in front of Henry."

Henry looked up at Parker, "Mommy says sugar honey iced tea, all the time."

Parker just stared back, dumbfounded, but Eliot laughed. "I like you, little man."

Henry grinned and reached up with the hand not holding onto Parker and grabbed Eliot's hand. To the hitter's credit, he simply held on and continued walking, as the three of them made their way down the very long and intimidating hallway to the office.

"Ask Sophie about the shirt," Parker replied to his earlier question, "She has a thing about you and blue, I don't know. And Nate says Hardison couldn't be my husband because there are still some 'wicked racist pricks' left in Boston, and the tours would become 'unavailable.'"

Eliot just mumbled words that no three year old should hear under his breath as they reached the office.

.

.

A short and curvy woman in her thirties looked up from the desk as the trio entered. Her bleach blonde hair was too light for her tanned face, and she looked about as comfortable in her business suit as Eliot felt in his polo shirt. Her eyes fell on Parker first, blankly, then onto Henry, and she stopped to smile for a moment at the cuteness. Then her gaze rose to settle on Eliot, who gave her his best 'meet me in the supply closet in ten minutes' smile.

.

"Ma'am," he greeted her, in that honeyed voice Parker was just learning not to roll her eyes at.

The woman sat up sharply, as if just remembering she was at work.

"How can I help you?" she regarded the group, visibly forcing her eyes away from focusing solely on Eliot.

"Well," Eliot strolled to the desk, leaning on it casually, "Me and Sarah here were hoping to get a tour of the place. Our Henry is going to be ready for pre-school next year, and we just know this is the best school in the city. And since Sarah will be working so much, leaving me all alone... I'm sure I'll want Henry to be at a school that values parent participation as much as this one."

"Oh?" the woman replied, "So you're a stay at home dad? That's really great. Most of the dads here barely see their kids at all."

"That's a real shame," Eliot drawled, "Now me, I plan on spending as much time at my son's school as I can."

"That's wonderful," the woman smiled up at him, "Let me see if I can... squeeze you in. I'll be right back."

Eliot grinned again, "Well thank you, miss...?"

"S-s-Sawyer," she stumbled, "Evelyn Sawyer."

"Thank you, miss Sawyer," Eliot repeated as she hustled away. He stopped to appreciate the curves of her body fighting against the conservative clothing she wore. He was only human, after all.

Rejoining Parker and Henry where they stood, he just smirked at the disbelieving look on Parker's face.

"I just don't get it," Parker said, "It's like they don't even have brains."

"_They love the whole 'southern charm' thing," _Hardison's voice came through over the comms Nate had insisted they wear. _"But I'm with you, mama, I just don't get it either."_

"Dammit, Hardison!" Eliot growled, "I forgot about the damn comms. Shut up, I don't need you in my head."

"_Just try to warn us if you're going to be taking out your ear bud for any...lessons," _Sophie's voice replaced Hardison's, though the hacker's laughter could still be heard.

Eliot's sure to be scathing reply was halted by the return of Evelyn Sawyer, who now clutched three visitor passes and a bulky looking clipboard of papers.

"Ready for the tour?" she asked, grinning hopefully.

Eliot's face slipped back into the easy grin, "Sure thing, miss Sawyer. You lead the way."

Parker managed to stop herself from mocking both Eliot and Evelyn, but just barely. Instead, she scooped up Henry and followed Evelyn out the door Eliot held open for them.

.

.

Nate, Sophie, and Hardison sat in the car, unsure of what exactly they were supposed to do besides be moral support.

"So just to be clear," Hardison asked, muting his comm for the moment, "We're investigating a school because Parker thinks somebody is using rubber bracelets to brainwash children? And we're just going with this? I mean, love h... a good conspiracy as much as the next person, but this is a stretch, even for Parker."

"Hardison," Sophie sighed, taking out her own comm and covering it with her hand, "The girl owns 127 spoons. This? Is nothing. And if this is what it takes to show her that we support her, then this is what we'll do."

Hardison nodded, turning his comm back on as Sophie replaced hers, "Ok. But can I at least hack the security system? This whole waiting thing is boring."

Sophie grinned, "Have at it."

Nate leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Maybe if he napped, this whole thing would be over by the time he woke up.

.

.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2 -

"Sarah?"

Parker snapped back to attention as she realized Evelyn had already called her 'name' a few times already, and was awaiting an answer.

"Yes," she smiled cheerfully at the other woman, hoping that the answer would suffice the question she hadn't heard.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Evelyn gushed, grinning at the increasingly befuddled blonde.

"Wha..." Parker's question was cut off by Eliot's rapid and loud coughing fit, which served to distract Evelyn just long enough for the question to be forgotten.

"Oh my, are you ok?" Evelyn asked as she patted Eliot's back roughly, "Do you need some water?"

Eliot composed himself, thinking silently of all the ways he would make Parker pay for getting him into this to begin with.

"I'm alright, sweetheart, don't worry. Let's just continue the tour, OK?" He smiled encouragingly, shifting Henry to rest more comfortably on his hip.

Evelyn seemed appeased, and she led the three of them down the hall once again, rambling on about the school's statistics.

.

Parker slowed her pace and tugged Eliot with her, until they were a few steps behind Evelyn. Eliot rolled his eyes and place Henry down, letting him catch up to Evelyn, before slowing to talk to Parker.

"What did she ask me, anyway?" Parker hissed.

Eliot smirked, "She asked if we were planning on any more children soon, _honey_."

"Oh," Parker frowned, "Then why did she look so... giddy about it? I mean, lots of people have kids."

"Well, you missed the comment she made right after she asked about the kids. She said 'well, I guess practice makes perfect' and then laughed, but you weren't paying attention."

Parker frowned again, "What are we practicing?"

"Seriously?"

"What? Why do you always look at me like I'm crazy?" Parker glared.

Eliot just rolled his eyes and gestured his shoulder pointedly towards their guide, as she had come to a stop in front of a classroom with Henry by her side.

"You'll explain this to me later!" Parker exclaimed as quietly as possible, before pasting the cheerful grin back on her face as they looked to Evelyn.

.

.

"This is our pre-school classroom A. There are three pre-school classrooms, one on each floor. The students here are ages 3 to 5, and as you can see, we value good behavior as much as good study skills."

Evelyn stopped her mandatory speech to take a breath and move aside to let Parker, Eliot and Henry, whom Eliot had picked back up, peer inside the classroom.

"They're very," Eliot strained to think of a non offensive word, "orderly."

Apparently his word choice was good enough because Evelyn smiled widely, "Yes. The children are taught from the day they start how important order and obedience is."

"That's just...great," Eliot forced, even as the tingles were beginning to run up his spine. Henry looked through the glass at the other children and looked back at Eliot with a shocked expression. Eliot almost snorted in amusement at that; even a three year old knew that kids shouldn't be so obedient.

He hated to admit it, but Parker might be on to something. The kids most likely weren't being brainwashed by Silly Bandz, but there was definitely something eery about the school.

.

.

The tour wrapped up quickly after that, as Evelyn breezed through the rest of the speech and handed them about two trees worth of brochures to take home with them. Smiling brightly, she walked them down the long hall, holding Henry's hand, to the front door.

They reached the doorway and Evelyn relinquished Henry to Parker once again, but not before crouching down and pulling the boy into a tight hug. Something about the sudden tension in the room had Parker and Eliot crouching instinctively, all while keeping pleasant smiles on their faces. Evelyn squeezed Henry one more time and whispered something into his ear before straightening herself out and opening the door. Parker and Eliot exchanged a brief and confused glance, but rose to their feet again, and each grabbing one of Henry's hands, made their way out. Parker wouldn't admit it out loud, but the loud bang of the door closing behind them sound more than a little ominous to her.

.

.

It wasn't until they were all back in the van, with Henry buckled safely back in his booster seat, that Parker voiced the question that had been bubbling since they had left the school.

"What did she say?" she demanded, staring intently at Henry.

Henry just looked up, alarmed at the sharp tone to her voice. Hardison sighed as Eliot chuckled, and Nate just rolled his eyes.

"Parker, you can't just demand information from a toddler like you could from a prisoner," Sophie explained patiently.

Parker just huffed and wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Fine, then you do it," she turned her glare to Eliot, who put up his hands in defense, but turned to Henry anyway.

"Hey buddy," he greeted, ruffling the boy's hair playfully, "What did miss Evelyn whisper to you when she hugged you? Can you remember?"

Henry cocked his head and stared up at Eliot with wide blue eyes before nodding solemnly.

Hardison's hand clamped down over Parker's mouth a second before she could demand Henry talk again, and he barely flinched when the inevitable bite came.

Eliot however, just waited, glad Nate was doing the driving, since Sophie was enthralled in the scene.

Henry looked from Eliot to Parker before settling on Eliot once again. He spoke in a low whisper, a recreation of Evelyn's own tone.

"She said, 'tell mommy and daddy to never bring you back here.'"

Henry smiled up at Eliot, "Did I do good?"

Eliot laughed in surprise, even as he exchanged worried looks with his team members. "You did good, buddy, real good."

"We should get him some lunch before bringing him back home," Nate cut in from the front.

"To McDonald's!" Parker declared triumphantly, high fiving Henry, who had immediately perked up at the idea of fast food.

Sophie wrinkled her nose at the 'restaurant,' but knew that if it made Henry and Parker happy, it was worth the trip.

.

.

The door to Nate's apartment clicked shut quietly for once, as Hardison came in from dropping off Henry.

"How're you gonna explain Henry's day to his mom if he starts telling her what we did?" Eliot questioned in place of a greeting.

Hardison wasn't fazed. "I told her we went and saw a family friendly thriller about spies infiltrating a pre-school. She bought it, we're good."

"Not very bright, is she?" Parker said, laughing.

"She's a very nice girl," Hardison defended, causing the whole team to cackle.

"Anyway," Nate interrupted, "Eliot and Parker have been filling me in with the information we couldn't see over the comms, and it looks like maybe we might need to look further into the school than we thought."

"Aha!" Parker exclaimed, "I told you!" She beamed at Hardison, who couldn't help but beam back.

"I'm not saying those bracelets have anything to do with it," Nate amended, keeping his voice neutral, "But between the weird vibes you two got from the school and the message from Henry, we should definitely take a closer look."

"Only problem is," Eliot cut Nate and his melodramatic tone off, "Now the school knows me and Parker, and Henry. Our cover won't work again."

"True," Sophie breezed her way into the conversation in that effortless way of hers. She grinned mischievously at the group. "Looks like we're going to need a whole new plan."

Parker bounced in her seat, inadvertently smacking Hardison, who sat beside her. "Let's go steal us a school!"

The others stared at her for a moment.

"Again. Let's go steal us a school, again!" she amended, with no less enthusiasm.

Sophie laughed in delight. This was going to be fun.

.

.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3 -

The morning came too fast, as it always did when he'd been up half the night online, but Hardison guzzled a soda and made his way to Nate's all the same for the meeting. He was the last one to arrive, dropping down beside Parker on the couch with a wide yawn. A hot cup of coffee was waved in front of his face and he grabbed it instinctively, looking up to find Eliot smirking as he handed him the cup. Hardison decided to ignore the smirk and instead focus on the wonderful caffeine filled aroma of hazelnut and cream deliciousness that he was about to consume.

.

"Do we have a plan yet?" Hardison asked, somewhat less sleepily, after his first sip.

Nate and Sophie shared matching smirks, leading Hardison to wonder two things: first, what crazy scheme were they up to this time, and second; what was with everyone and the smirking lately?

.

"Creepy, isn't it?" Parker hissed in his ear, causing Hardison to muffle his laughter into another yawn as Nate began talking.

"The problem with this job," Nate began, "Is that two of our players are already out of the game. Eliot, Parker," he paused to nod at each of them, "You're going to have to be invisible on this one."

"So essentially," Sophie picked up smoothly where Nate left off, "We need to run a three man job, with the bonus of having two out of sight players in the wings."

Nate cut back in, "And somehow manage to infiltrate a school with almost no prep. Again."

"Now maybe it's just me," Hardison cocked his head between Nate and Sophie, "But y'all don't seem all that worried about this."

Sophie gave him a winning grin.

"Aww, I see how it is," Hardison continued, "You two have some crazy ass plan with an equally crazy ass name, that the rest of us have never heard of, don't you?"

"Mommy Dearest," Nate and Sophie said in unison.

Hardison just sighed. He was going to need another coffee.

.

.

"Welcome to..."

"I know where I am," Sophie interrupted Evelyn in a crisp tone. "Is the headmaster in?"

Evelyn visible fidgeted in her seat, "No, ma'am, he's at a conference today. Can I take a message?"

Sophie eyed her coolly, "I think not. We had a meeting scheduled today, but Albert clearly doesn't consider his _boss _important enough to remember."

"But, but, Mrs. Reynolds is his boss, and I've met Mrs. Reynolds, and you..." she trailed off in a quivering voice as Sophie raised an eyebrow at her silently.

"Mrs. Reynolds," Sophie nearly spat the word, "May be his boss, but I," she paused for effect, "am her boss."

Evelyn just stared with wide eyes at Sophie.

"Do you know who owns your school, Miss," Sophie glanced dismissively at the plaque on the desk, "Sawyer?"

"Of c-c-course," Evelyn stuttered again, "The London Academy of Propriety and Well Behaved Children."

_'Seriously?' _Hardison's voice cut through the comms, causing the other team members to giggle, all while Sophie kept a smooth poker face.

"Very good," Sophie cooed in a tone that did nothing to soothe Evelyn's nerves. "And who do you suppose is in charge of that academy?"

"You," Evelyn answered promptly, straightening her posture automatically.

"Excellent," Sophie nodded curtly at the girl, "Now, I don't suppose you would mind giving me a tour of the facility, in place of dear Albert, would you?"

Evelyn hopped to her feet, "Of course not! I'll just, umm, let me grab a, never mind, right this way, Ms..."

"Rothshire," Sophie replied, like it was obvious, "Jane Rothshire."

"Right this way, Ms. Rothshire," Evelyn repeated, leading Sophie out the door.

.

"All clear," Sophie muttered into her comm as she followed Evelyn into the hallway, silently slipping a business card between the door and the lock hole as she pulled the door shut.

.

.

"You all set?" Nate asked Hardison from the drivers seat of the van. Hardison and Parker were in the back while Hardison fiddled on the computers. Eliot sat beside Nate, a little put out that he had nothing to do at the moment.

"In just a sec," Hardison's fingers flew over the keys of his laptop, "Alright, baby, here we go. Firewalls were a breeze, and the main camera wasn't even protected. For shame, Boston Academy of yadda yadda, for shame."

"Are we good or what?" Eliot growled. He was bored, damn it.

"Yes, we're good," Hardison huffed, "Nobody appreciates my hard work. Or the van. But yes, we're good. There are six total camera in the school. One in the main hall, and five others in apparent random classrooms throughout the building. Also, it seems like the only way they monitor the camera is from a screen at the receptionists desk."

"The receptionist that Sophie has conveniently led away." Nate gave a small grin.

"I kinda feel bad for them," Parker mused aloud, "This is too easy."

"Shhh, woman!" Hardison hushed her, "Don't curse it!"

Parker just stuck her tongue out and ignored his outburst.

"OK," Nate interrupted, "Eliot and Parker, you go in and search the Headmaster's office, but stay out of sight. Hardison, you monitor the school, make sure to let them know if anyone comes back to the office. And I'll start walking the school, see if anything seems out of place."

"What's your cover?" Hardison asked.

Nate laughed, "Don't have one."

"But..." Hardison looked confused.

"I don't plan on getting found," Nate laughed again, tapping his temple.

"That...is not a good plan," Hardison looked to Eliot for confirmation, but the hitter just rolled his eyes.

"It's what we've got," Nate replied, opening the driver's side door, "So let's go."

.

Nate got out first, followed by Eliot a moment later. Parker hesitated, giving Hardison a look of sympathy.

"He's getting crazier," Parker whispered as she backed out the double doors with a grace only she could manage.

"You got that right, mama," Hardison replied, shaking his head as the doors of the van clicked shut soundly.

.

.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

.

.

"Aw, I don't even get to pick the lock!" Parker groused as she and Eliot made their way into the main office, en route to the Headmaster's personal office.

Eliot gave the thief a pointed look, one she had become all too familiar with. The look that read, 'there's something _wrong_ with you.'

Parker just grinned at him, she'd seen that look one to many times for it to bother her. In fact, it made her feel strangely at home.

"Let's go!" Eliot demanded, giving her a little shove toward the Headmaster's office.

Parker moved along, silently mimicking Eliot's expression as she skipped towards the door.

.

.

"This place is way too clean," Eliot observed as he looked around the room, "It's spotless."

Parker cocked her head and smirked, "That just means the hidden dirt is really, really, dirty."

Eliot nodded in agreement, "You take the desk, I'll check the walls."

_'And these children are in...second grade, did you say?' _Sophie's cool tone came over the comms, breaking the silence of the search.

They couldn't hear Evelyn's reply, but it apparently satisfied Sophie.

'_Very well, let's have a visit to this second grade, shall we?'_

_._

'_You get that, Hardison?' _Nate's voice replaced Sophie's in their ears.

Hardison's response came with the furious sound of clicking keys, "_I gotcha, Boss. She's focused in on the second grade classroom. I'll see if one of the cameras is in that room.'_

They could practically hear Nate nodding in that absent way of his; _'Alright, good. I'm on the fourth floor. All the older students are here, but nothing looks particularly out of place yet. Eliot, Parker, anything?'_

"Desk is clean," Parker replied, pushing the final drawer back in place.

"Walls are...wait," Eliot stopped suddenly as his fingers hit a hollow spot near the bottom of the wall.

_'What am I waiting for?" _Nate asked.

"Ooh! Eliot found a hidden com-paart-ment!" Parker sing-songed.

Hardison's laughter rang out over the comms, '_Girl, you get way too happy about potential wall safes.'_

Parker huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, slightly offended.

"Oh, you know he's only teasing you," Eliot rolled his eyes, "Don't get your panties in a bunch."

Parker huffed again, "I'm not even wearing panties. Shows what you know."

Hardison's sudden coughing fit surprised them both, causing Sophie to sigh almost inaudibly over the comms and Nate to 'hush!' them all.

_'Can we just PLEASE get on with it?' _Nate pleaded. The steady thump they heard indicated he was coming down the stairs, presumably towards them.

Eliot knelt before the wall, dragging the blade of his pocket knife gently across the line of the wall and floor, until it caught. Grinning, he pushed the blade forward and jiggled the handle, giving a quiet 'aha!' when a spring was triggered, causing the hidden compartment to pop open.

"Aw, no safe," Parker pouted, sitting on the desk, now that she had nothing to crack.

"So what is it?" Nate was suddenly in the doorway, looking at Eliot expectantly.

Eliot stood back up, holding the contents of the hollow space.

"Looks like some kind of journal," he responded, turning the heavy leather book over in his hands.

_'Y'all got company in under a minute!' _

Hardison's warning roused them to action. Eliot handed the journal to Nate, before pressing the hidden panel back into place. Parker gave a final sweep of the room, making sure everything looked as it was before they got there. Nate ushered them out and clicked the main office door shut behind them. They reached the main doors just as the sound of Sophie's high heels could be heard approaching. The heavy front door closed surprisingly softly as they made their way out, a second before Evelyn reached the office.

.

.

"Well," Sophie smiled crisply at Evelyn, "That was certainly a... revealing tour, Ms. Sawyer. I'm certain we'll see each other again soon."

Evelyn looked up, quickly masking the look of horror on her face, "My p-pleasure, Ms. Rothshire," she replied weakly.

Sophie turned to leave but stopped at the door, looking back to give Evelyn one more message.

"And, Ms. Sawyer?" Sophie paused for effect, "Whatever you're hiding, trust me, it's not worth it.'

With that, she breezed through the door, leaving a dumbstruck and panicked Evelyn staring at the space in which Sophie has previously stood.

.

.

They met at Nate's the next morning, after taking the night to rest and mull over their respective parts of the job.

"So," Nate began, once everyone was seated around him, "The journal that Eliot," he paused to consider Parker's expression. "The journal that Eliot AND Parker found," he amended, "Seems to be a ledger of some kind."

"Like bets?" Hardison questioned, "What could they be betting on at a school?"

"I'm not sure," Nate admitted, "But I don't think it's a betting ledger as much as a ledger of people, in code. I'm not exactly sure how to decipher it just yet."

"I think I might have an idea about that," Sophie broke in, "Hardison, can you pull up the video from when I was in the second grade class, please?"

Hardison grinned and turned to give Nate a brief glare, "See? Sophie has manners. She says please. And I bet she'll even throw in a 'thank you' after."

Nate eyed the screen, studiously ignoring Hardison's comment.

Hardison sighed and pulled up the video.

"Thank you," Sophie said, only half mocking, as they began to watch.

"Now, this is going to sound crazy," she began, moving to stand beside the screen, "But I think Parker is on to something with those dreadful bracelets. From what I can gather, all the colors have different meanings."

"Like roses," Eliot offered.

"Exactly," Sophie nodded, "The white bands are for friendship, the red bands are for 'love,' and the green bands seem to be for somebody called Justin Bieber."

"Who the hell is Justin Bieber?" Eliot asked, looking to the group. All he got were shrugs in response.

"What does this have to do with brainwashing?" Hardison asked, "It seems like the bands are creepy, but not really powerful."

"Ah, yes." Sophie smiled brightly, "That had me stumped too! Until I looked closer. You can't see it in the video, but I could. Every color band those children had carried some sort of meaning, but only one held a meaning given to them by the Headmaster himself."

"See!" Parker exclaimed, even though she didn't know what was to be seen yet.

"Only a handful of children in the second grade room had clear bands. No color at all. I asked one girl what it meant, and she told me that the Headmaster gave them out for 'exemplary students'."

"So?" Nate questioned, "How do we know the bands are a legitimate prize?"

Sophie smirked, "There were pictures on the wall of every child who received an A on any of the past 5 exams. She wasn't in one picture. And none of the other children on the wall had clear bands. It's obvious that the Headmaster is marking them."

"But for what?" Hardison mused.

"That's what I'm hoping this book will help us figure out," Nate said, running his finger down the spine of the journal before tossing it to Sophie.

"Maybe you can make more sense of it," he shrugged.

"We'll see," Sophie nodded, moving to sit back on the couch beside Eliot.

She tripped as she moved, catching herself on Eliot's shoulder, laughing at her clumsiness as she made herself comfortable.

"Ah, I must be dehydrated," she explained, giving Eliot's arm a quick pat as she opened the journal.

Eliot was on his feet before he knew what was happening, and had the teapot in hand before it dawned on him.

"Dammit, Sophie!" He exclaimed.

Sophie grinned, "Yes, sugar?"

Eliot instinctively reached for the sugar, only to shove it back to the counter with a growl.

Hardison laughed out loud, "It never gets old, man."

"Oh shut up, Scheherazade!" Eliot retorted, glaring.

Hardison shut up. Parker just giggled. Nate ignored them all.

"Sophie," Eliot sighed, "If you want tea... just ask. You don't have to trick me."

Sophie managed to actually look surprised. "Oh," she said, flustered, "Well, OK. Will you please bring me some tea?"

Eliot considered, "Will you please stop neuro-whatever-ing me?"

"At least for a week," Sophie promised.

Eliot sighed, "Good enough."

"Well, aren't you sweet!" Sophie said, cringing when Eliot once again reached for the sugar instinctively.

"Sorry!" she laughed, "That one was accidental."

Eliot just shook his head and poured the tea.

.

.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5

.

.

"Ok," Sophie began, after several hours of deciphering the mystery ledger, "I think I have some of this figured out."

The rest of the team reassembled in the room around her, waiting. Sophie stood, stretching out the kinks in her back as she made her way to stand by Nate.

She opened the journal to display the neatly printed ledger to the group.

"As far as I can tell, the letters on the left hand side are grade levels and initials. For example, this one here, 2NJ, would mean something like Natalie Jones, 2nd grade. As it happens, there was a young girl with a clear bracelet called Natalie in the classroom I was in."

Nate nodded, "And what about the right hand side?"

Sophie worried her lip, "That's where I'm running into the most trouble. Some of the names are attached to seemingly random initials. But several of the names are linked to a H.B. Whomever that is."

"What's that column in the middle?" Hardison cut in, moving up to get a better look.

Sophie shrugged, "Seems to be some sort of money range. Probably whatever amount of blackmail or skimming they're up to."

"No," Eliot interrupts, with a dark expression on his face, "It's not blackmail."

The others turn to him, waiting in the sudden wary silence.

"Sophie's right about it being a range, but it's not blackmail. It's the range of haggling allowed," he continued, "And H.B isn't just one person, it means 'highest bidder."

The look on Hardison's face would have been comical in any other situation.

"They're... selling the kids?" Hardison asked, appalled, "How hasn't anybody caught them yet? Why hasn't anybody reported missing children?"

"They're not selling the kids, themselves," Parker broke in, her voice at a scary level of calm, "They're selling sex."

Sophie gasped, unable to help herself.

Parker and Eliot shared a quick glance, seeing something the others couldn't in each others eyes, before Parker spoke again.

"The kids get knocked out and transported in blindfolds. And when it's... when they're... after, they get brought back after, like nothing's happened. Half the time they think it's a nightmare, until the pain doesn't go away when they wake up."

Eliot moved to stand by Parker, pressing his side into hers slightly, silently, as she continued.

"I used to see it," Parker shrugged, as if it was nothing more than a movie she'd seen once, "Never saw it outside of the foster system though."

"And," Nate interrupted, advancing to Parker with an almost predatory gaze, "You just happened to stumble across a school that does this?"

"Nate!" Sophie scolded him, "What are you trying to say?"

"No," Parker mumbled under breath, looking at the floor.

Hardison moved to stand on her other side, giving her hand a small squeeze before glaring at Nate, silently daring him to upset her again.

Nate softened his expression, moving to stand in front of Parker, ignoring her two makeshift bodyguards.

"No," he urged, "No, it wasn't random, right? Just... unconscious."

Parker looked up and Nate was surprised to see no tears in her hazel eyes, only anger and determination.

"No," she agreed, "I just didn't realize it. But I remember now. I remember him."

"Who do you remember, Parker?" Sophie asked, gently.

"The headmaster."

.

.

.

"Albert Minkerton III" Hardison announced, a few minutes later, as he pulled up all the info he could find on the headmaster.

"Big time hot shot in the education system, both here and in the U.K. Inherited his fortune at twenty-one, was CEO of his own company by thirty. That was thirty years ago. Fast forward to now, Alby here is a 'model citizen' and 'philanthropist," dedicating hours of time and millions of dollars to children around the world," he paused, "Now excuse me while I choke on my own bile. Y'all go on and talk among yourselves."

Nate didn't even bother rolling his eyes at the other man before picking up the plan proposition.

"We're dealing with people with infinite amounts of money and resources, including which are lawyers that would keep any straight out inquiries tied up for years and years. So what we need is concrete proof. Because as of now, all we have is a pretty good hunch and some bad memories. We need enough evidence to make sure there is no way Minkerton can hide behind his lawyers."

"You're not proposing we..." Sophie trailed, looking ill just at the suggestion.

Nate nodded, "What else can we do?"

Sophie sighed, "Oh, Nate. And who, of us, do you suppose will be able to walk in and demand to buy a child?"

Nate considered them all carefully, before resting his gaze on Eliot.

"No," Eliot growled, "No way in hell. I'd kill the fuckers before I got anything useful. You can't send me into that."

"You've seen much worse," Nate argued, "You're our best shot. Plus, you can defend yourself if it gets dicey."

His protest died on his lips as Parker looked over at him, silently begging 'please.'

"Goddammit," Eliot sighed, "Fine. But I'm not promising I won't knock anyone out."

"I'd expect nothing less," Nate nearly smiled.

"How do we even find out where and when this goes down?" Parker began pacing, a bundle of antsy energy.

"I have an idea about that," Sophie tapped her nails on the journal, "The last page has a list of dates, the closest one being two days from now. This weekend."

"So we have a 'when,'" Hardison nodded, "But what's the where?"

"That's the question..." Nate mused aloud, "Hardison, what exactly did you say Minkerton was the CEO of?"

Hardison pressed a complicated pattern of buttons into his remote, pulling up the information.

"Oh," he said as the pieces slotted together, "Minkerton is CEO of Happy Nights Hotels. One of which is located over in..." the information on the screen scrolled dangerously fast, "Revere. The closest on by miles is in Revere, right off the parkway. Says here that it was closed last year for renovations, though."

"An abandoned hotel," Eliot muttered, "Original."

"We never said the bad guys were exceptionally smart," Nate commented wryly, "Or original."

Eliot nodded, "I'm still gonna punch the guy in the face. Just so you know."

Parker grinned, "And kick him in the balls too!"

Eliot just sighed.

.

.

Nate gave Eliot a once-over in the van as the hitter prepared to walk the half block to the hotel.

"Try not to get caught with this, this time," Nate smirked, tapping the button cam on Eliot's shirt.

Eliot smirked back, "Don't think I'll run into your _wife_ this time, boss," the last word drawled out lazily.

"_Ex _wife," Sophie cut in from the passenger seat, pointedly, "Now can we focus on the matter at hand?"

"Yeah," Parker agreed, "I wanna see this guy hurt, soon."

"Just let me double check the equipment, mama," Hardison soothed, "And then Eliot can go beat up people all he wants."

"Glad I have your approval," Eliot's voice dripped with sarcasm. "By the way," he turned his attention to Nate, "Are you sure this I.D is gonna check out? I mean, they can't just be letting anyone stroll in."

Nate snorted, "You have a briefcase full of cash and a C.I.A level alias. You'll be fine."

"We're all set," Hardison interrupted Eliot's sure to be witty comeback, "Just remember to get as many people on camera as possible."

Eliot just glared and made his way out of the van doors.

.

.

Eliot walked through the giant double doors of the hotel, moving slowly to get as much in the camera shot as he could. He got two steps in before freezing on the spot.

"Shit," he muttered, ducking his head instinctively. But it was too late.

_What it is? _Nate's voice came across among the rest of the team's worried murmured.

"It's the secretary," Eliot replied quietly, "She's standing at the desk with Minkerton. There's no way she's not going to recognize me."

_What's she doing there? _Parker sounded genuinely confused. _She warned Henry not to come back. Why would she be part of this?_

Nate cut through again. _Everybody, hush. Eliot, just go along as planned. She might recognize you, but your money is still green, and she's not the one in charge here. _

"Fine," Eliot growled as he made his way to the concierge desk.

Evelyn stared blankly at him as he approached, asking for I.D in a monotone. Minkerton barely glanced at the little card, but took the briefcase happily.

"Right this way, Mr... Oh, welcome, Mr. Kennedy. I'm sure you'll find the perfect fit here."

Eliot just nodded curtly, not trusting himself to speak.

.

Minkerton led him down a long hallway and ushered him into a private room, occupied by six children. Three boys and three girls, all roughly ages 7-12.

Eliot turned to Minkerton, getting him in full view of the camera, and gave him a look that said 'now what?' and a sheepish smile.

"Ah, first time, my boy?" Minkerton clapped him on the back. Eliot only barely suppressed the urge to punch, repeatedly.

Eliot just nodded again, hoping his face portrayed shyness, not fury.

Minkerton gave him an exaggerated wink, "Well, you just have a look around and pick the one that tickles your fancy. Once you do, I'll escort you both to a private room."

"Can..." Eliot swallowed the lump of sickness in his throat, "Can I check them out first? Make sure they aren't all sickly?"

"Of course!" Minkerton laughed, "Go on, examine all you want. Healthy as horses, all of them."

_How can evil sound so cheerful? _Sophie's voice flitted through Eliot's ears over the comms.

Eliot gave no reaction, just made his way to the children, crouching before the youngest looking one, a girl maybe even younger than he originally thought. She might not have been more than five. He traced his fingers around her eyes, looking for any reaction. She just gazed back at him, foggy.

_They're drugged. _Eliot wondered briefly how Parker would know that, before remembering the button cam.

Making quick work, Eliot checked the other kids, noting they all shared the same glazed look.

"So?" Minkerton asked, all smiles.

_Just get out of there, Eliot. _Nate commanded. _We have more than enough. Just tell him you changed your mind and get the hell out of there. _

But Eliot couldn't. He took a step towards the children again, unsure of what to do. The littlest girl looked up, all blonde hair and big hazel eyes, and he just couldnt.

"Dammit, Parker," he growled softly into the comms.

"What was that?" Minkerton asked, starting to look wary.

"Her," Eliot responded quickly, pointing to the little blonde girl.

Minkerton clapped him on the shoulder again, "Good choice! She's a favorite around here! You won't be disappointed.

Eliot choked on air but held it together. Minkerton lifted the girl up by her waist and transferred her to Eliot's arms. She felt listless and featherlight, and he struggled not to cradle her protectively.

_What the hell are you doing? _Nate demanded, but Eliot ignored him and the others for the moment.

Minkerton led Eliot down another long hallway, and Eliot shifted the girl to one hip so she didn't block the camera. She simply rested her head lifelessly on his shoulder. They got on the elevator, going up, before walking down yet another long hallway.

"Here we are," Minkerton ushered Eliot into an empty bedroom, "Remember, two hours. I'll be back to collect the girl then."

Eliot nodded and clicked the door shut behind the headmaster.

"Cameras, Hardison," he demanded.

_There aren't any in the bedrooms, man. Only the main lobby has a working cam, and I hacked into that ages ago. They can't see you right now._

Eliot sighed in relief and placed the girl on the bed, sitting her up against the headboard.

"Hey, darlin', stay with me, ok?" he brushed her hair out of her face, looking for some spark of life. But she just stared back, alive but out of it.

Her eyes closed a moment later, and Eliot didn't have it in him to wake her up. He laid her down and tucked her in, hoping she could get some peaceful sleep.

_Eliot, you need to get out of there. _This time it was Sophie telling him the obvious.

_What were you thinking? _Parker asked.

Eliot sighed, "I wasn't. I couldn't just leave her there. You heard him! She's a favorite. Somebody else would've taken her. It was hard enough to leave all the others."

_I guess you just wait out the two hours then. _Hardison sighed, and Eliot could imagine the hacker's annoyed expression.

"I..." Eliot began before the door swung open, causing him to jump into a defensive stance automatically.

"Oh, thank god," Evelyn sighed as she made her way into the room and shut the door behind her.

_What's she doing there? _Sophie wondered aloud.

"What are you doing here?" Eliot demanded, stepping between Evelyn and the girl on the bed protectively.

"Relax," Evelyn raised her hands in peace, "I'm on your side."

Eliot just glared.

Evelyn sighed and began unbuttoning her blouse. Eliot stared for a quick moment before pulling his gaze back to her face again.

"What the hell?" he asked as she moved closer.

"Just look," she replied, tugging the shirt to expose her stomach. More specifically, the carefully taped wire on her stomach.

"Oh," Eliot sighed in relief, before sinking to the bed. Pretending to be a sleazebag was exhausting.

"Yeah," Evelyn agreed, sitting beside him as she buttoned up.

He looked over to her, noticing her stuttering demeanor was gone.

"Who do you..." he began.

"Boston P.D. Sex crimes unit," she supplied pulling out a slim badge from her bra and showing him before tucking it back in.

"Oh," Eliot said again. He hadn't prepared for this.

_Just let her lead. _Nate advised. _Don't give her any information unless she demands it. _

Evelyn turned to look at the small girl tucked into the giant bed, and smiled sadly.

"I've been on this case for nearly two years," she spoke softly, "It's taken Minkerton that long to trust me enough to get me in here. Tonight was the first night he let me come along."

Eliot nodded, "So where's your backup?"

"On the way," she frowned, "I'm glad we're gonna nail the bastard. But I just wish I could have gotten some really incriminating video. Minkerton never let me close enough."

Eliot gave her a full out grin and tapped his chest twice, "I think I can help you out with that. On one condition."

"And what's that?" Evelyn sounded amused, but curious.

Eliot's fingers moved to undo his own shirt, pulling it off before handing it to her. "Just make sure nobody knows I was here. The button cam in that should have enough evidence to put him away for a long time. I'll make sure you get the recordings by the time the other cops show up."

Evelyn took a moment to consider Eliot in his tight wifebeater, and there was a considerable amount to consider.

Sighing, she nodded, "Deal. But how are you going to get out of here, without your shirt, from the tenth floor?"

Eliot grinned again as the tapping at the window came, right on cue. He moved to the big bay window, opening it to reveal Parker hanging casually, spare rig in one hand, flash drive with the digital recordings in the other. He grabbed the drive and tossed it to Evelyn, who caught it deftly, tucking it into her bra beside the badge. Stepping into the rig, Eliot allowed Parker to buckle him in safely, before stepping out onto the ledge beside her, wrapping himself around her tightly.

.

Evelyn just stared in shock.

"Be seeing you," Eliot gave her one last smile before taking a breath and letting Parker drop them off the ledge, not even minding when her hair whipped him in the face as they fell.

Evelyn ran to the window after them, but they were already out of sight.

"Who are you?" she asked the empty room.

A second later the sirens could be heard and the lights came into view, and she readied herself for the raid.

.

.

The next day's news broadcasts were filled with the scandal, and the subsequent arrest of Albert Minkerton and several others.

"I still don't understand how a parent could do that to their child," Sophie sighed as she settled herself on the couch next to Eliot.

"Wasn't the parents," Parker supplied, "The news earlier said it was the nannies. Two of them. They both worked with all the families at one point or another. They recruited other girls to be sitters and nannies, and that's how they got the kids. The parents didn't know anything."

"That's ridiculous," Eliot argued, "How could they not know something was going on? I'm still annoyed I didn't get to punch him, by the way."

Nate shrugged, "Some parents like this, with too much money and not enough time, they hardly even see their kids. Never mind changes in behavior."

"It's sick, is what it is," Hardison agreed, twisting open a bottle of soda. "I hope Minkerton makes a lot of new friends in jail. Ass grabby type friends."

"Here, here!" Sophie raised her tea in agreement.

.

Eliot stood languidly, stretching. "Don't know about you all, but I need a real drink. I'll be downstairs if any of you feel like joining."

Sophie and Hardison shook their heads, comfortable where there were. Parker gave him a shrug that said 'maybe in a little while.' Nate just waved his bottle of whiskey before pouring himself a drink. Eliot shook his head at the lot of them, fondly, and made his way to the bar.

.

.

He sat at the bar for a total of ten seconds before the stool beside him scraped back and was filled with a female form.

"You changed your hair," he greeted Evelyn, all at once surprised and unsurprised to see her.

She grinned, running her fingers through the dark locks, "Been waiting to go back to this for months. Blonde is not for me."

Eliot just smirked, "So how'd you find me?"

"Cop, remember?" Evelyn replied teasingly, "Or do you need to see my badge again?"

His gaze dropped to her chest for a split second, "Well, if you feel like you _need _ to show me..."

Evelyn laughed, "Maybe another time. For now, I just wanted to say thank you. That video is just what we needed. Almost everyone else at the precinct gave up, and told me there wasn't anything there. But I just knew there was. And then you and your people came along, and saw it immediately."

Eliot shrugged, "It's kind of what we do."

Evelyn stood, and wrapped Eliot in a quick hug before she could change her mind.

"I'm glad."

Eliot watched her leave, only stopping to notice how her jeans hugged her just right for a moment. He was still a man, after all.

It wasn't until he stood that he felt the crinkle in his back pocket, and he pulled the smooth paper into view. It was a Polaroid of the little girl from the previous night, wrapped in the arms of what he assumed was her mother. On the back of the picture was a simple note:

**Eliot,**

**Yes, I know your name, but don't worry, a promise is a promise. Nobody else will know. As for Samantha here, she's got a tough road ahead of her, but I've seen tougher cases end up just fine. She's going to be alright, and it's because of you. Remember that. **

**Evelyn**

Eliot ran his fingers over the photo again before tucking it back into his pocket. Evelyn's words rang in his mind, 'tougher cases ended up just fine.' He thought of Parker and how she had started this whole crazy case on nothing but intuition and deep buried memories. But she'd been right.

He laughed to himself at the absurdity as the bar door opened and Parker entered, impeccable timing, as usual.

"What's so funny?" she asked as she sat on the stool beside him, tugging him to sit back down.

He handed her the photo without comment, watching her eyes go dark as she read the note.

"Poor kid," she commented, "she's going to be so messed up."

"Maybe," Eliot nodded, "But maybe not. I get the feeling that she's stronger than she looks. And she has people that love her. They'll take care of her."

Parker looked up from the picture, with an unusual expression on her face. A million emotions flashed through her hazel eyes, and Eliot found himself smiling as she seemed to settle on happiness and understanding.

Parker did a half spin in her chair, knocking her feet against Eliot's before giving him a small smile.

"Yeah, well, she's lucky."

.

.

THE END.


End file.
